Frankfurter packaging machine



- `Iuly 7, 1959 J. R. LlTTY 2,893,186

FRANKFURTER PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June l5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 V JOHN R. LITTY BY am Lf @7- RNEYS ATTO July 7, 1959 Filed June l5. 1954 J. R. LITTY FRANKFURTER PACKAGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 IVENTOR.

JOHN v R. LITTY ATTORNEYS M ab@ United States Patent O This' invention relates to a compression packaging machine-for frankfurters 4and the like and has particular reference to a machine for compacting and inserting articles such as'frankfurtersin bags.;

The packaging of frankfurters andsimilar articles in bags is-.a matter ofrsome diculty when it isdesiredl t'o have thehfinal packagecompactand, accordingly, more susceptible' to ready handling and stacking. Generally, the packaging desired, say 'forJ aldozen frankfurters, would involve providing a rectangulararray of four by three frankfurters which should be compacted into a rectangular bag.` For proper compactness, the normally approximately circular` frankfurters'must be straightened Qui intorarallelhm and spmpressedito roush1y;approxi mately rectangular or square shapes to secure a minimum dimensional final rectangular package. It is the broad object of the present invention to provide a machine which may receive a generally rectangular but uncompacted assembly of frankfurters and which will compact this assembly into proper shape for delivery into a presented bag. The compacting is carried out beyond the degree which will ultimately occur in the final package, so that when the frankfurters are released in the bag they will expand to some extent and stretch the bag walls. In this fashion, a suitable final package is secured.

Hereinafter when the Word frankfurter is employed, it is employed as referring to frankfurters, sausages and similar articles capable of being compressed or deformed.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention particularly relating to details of construction and operation will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the delivery end of the improved machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same looking at the right-hand side of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.

The drawings illustrate a preferred form of the machine which comprises a frame 2 consisting of various individual frame parts, including the upstanding frame portions 3 and 5, which will be evident from the drawings and, therefore, requires no detailed description. The frame supports a delivery snout which comprises an upper plate 4, a lower plate 6, and a pair of side plates 14 and 16 arranged in convergent fashion in the direction of delivery. The upper plate 4 is secured to the frame portions 3 and 5 and may extend approximately horizontally as shown. The lower plate 6 slopes upwardly in the direction of delivery and is carried by a block 10 pivoted on a cross pin 8 mounted in the frame portions 3 and 5 and urged clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, by a leaf spring 12 the upper end portion of which engages the right-hand face of the block 10 and the lower end portion of which is secured to a frame part 7. The side plates 14 and 16 converge in the direction toward the delivery end of the machine andare secured to blocks mounted upon upright shafts 18 and 20 which are journalled in the frame portions 3 and 5, respectively, and at their lower ends are provided with blocks 22 and 24 against which bear the outward ends of horizontally extending leaf springs 26 and 28 the inward ends of which are secured to the frame part 7. As will be evident from the drawings, these springs 12, 26 and 28 serve to maintain yieldingly the convergent arrangement of the several plates with lrespect to the fixed plate 4 to provide a snout over 'which there may be slipped to receive the frankfurters a bag of generally rectangular shape.

vIn order to compact the frankfurters there'are provided convergent arrays of, rollers which serve to guide and advance the assembled frankfurtersas a group. The upper rollers, journalled in the frame portions 3` and 5, are indicated at 30 and form an array converging downwardly toward the delivery end of the machine, the rollers being successively shorter from the receiving toward the delivery end.; VA similar lower array of rollers 32, journalled in the frame portions 3 and 5 is provided.

Similar vertical sets of rollers 3'4 and 36 are provided, thesevbeing provided with shafts which are, jour` nalled in theframe portions 3 and 5, respectively. As will be evident particularly from Figures 2 and 3, these four sets of rollers provide a converging passageway of generally rectangular-` crosssection through which ,the frankfurtersfmayha;advanced.;e ,1'

Each of the rollers 30 has its shaft mounted in lthe frame and at one end each shaft is extended through the frame, toward the right as viewed in Figure 3, and has secured thereto a gear 38. The lower rollers 32 likewise have their shafts mounted in the frame and these shafts extend through the frame and have secured to them gears 40. Upper idlers 42 mounted on fixed studs in the frame mesh with and interconnect Iadjacent pairs of the gears 38. Similar idler gears 44 are likewise mounted on fixed studs and interconnect the adjacent pairs of gears 40. One of the upper rollers 30 and one of the lower rollers 32 have their respective shafts further extended to carry intermeshing gears 50 and 52 of the same diameter, and the lower of these gears meshes with a gear 54 which is secured to la shaft 5S mounted in bearings in the frame and carrying a sprocket 56 through which rotation may be imparted to shaft 55 by means of a chain drive from a motor (not shown). In use the machine is driven so that, as viewed in Figure 2, the gear 50 rotates clockwise and the gear 52 counterclockwise. The rollers of the sets connected to them then rotate in the same direction. To package a group of frankfurters, a partially opened bag is slipped upon the snout formed by the plates 4, 6, 14 and 16 and there is then inserted into the right-hand end of the machine, as viewed in Figure 2, a roughly rectangular array of frankfurters, for example, four frankfurters wide and three high. As the frankfurters are inserted, they are Igripped by the rollers at the receiving end and are advanced toward the left, as viewed in Figure 2, being straightened and considerably compressed as Ithey are delivered between the plates of the snout. As such delivery takes place, the plates 6, 14 and 16 are forced outwardly against the action of the springs 12, 26 and 28 and when that occurs the walls of the rectangular bag are extended. The delivery of the frankfurters then continues, the compressed assemblage being forced into the bag within the bounds of the guiding plates. Finally, ythe plates being ythin and smooth, the bag may be pulled outwardly from the plates containing the compressed frankfurtcrs. The compression effected in the machine is beyond that which exists in the final package, the frankfurters or other articles packaged expanding tightly against the walls of the bag and providing a compact package.` Following the' removal of the package the plates, 6, 14, and 16,a1e, returnedto, their` original posi: ytions for more convenient reception of another bag.

It should be noted that while the machine is preferalbly operated-y with'. power-driven rollers. the machine. may-v be operated; without the; rollersl being: driven in which use the articles.y being packaged canf` he pushed through the rollers` by. a ram whicnmay'be hand, operated-f.

By compressing or"deformingz the articles andk keeping them; compressedV as theyv are; being: inserted intoy a` bag it. is not. only possibleA to use a. smaller,` bag' but itv is also possible to` make a; tighter. package; having only a minimum amount of air: space.` Thus, the machineprrr vides an; improved package; with" a. saving, in,I thez cost of labor4 and v bag material:-

It will be clear that various details of construction may be changediwithout departing from-thee invention as definedA inthev following claimst What is'I claimedv is:

1". In apparatus for packagingr articles, means forming a passage substantially,- rectangularin: transverse section andv having Walls converging from the inlet toward the outlet end of' said' passage comprising: a plurality of rollers each'- extending across a wall of said passage,

said rollers being arranged in four sets@ respectively lining the four walls at the inlet end of said' passage, and a delivery snout including a plurality of platel members respectively lining theY fourwalls at' the outlet end of said passage and' extending in longitudinal continuation respectively of said four sets ofrollers, said plate members being adapted for receiving the open end of a bag fitted `thereover, and means mounting saidi plate members for yielding movement outwardly relative to one another under the. influence of,y an, article. movingv therebetween, thereby to open said bag for receiving said article, said rollers and said plate members lbeing conjointly operative to compress said article to a predetermined size progressively as the same moves through said passage to said bag.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the rollers of each set thereof are disposed in close adjacent relation to one another and respectively opposite the rollers of the opposed roller set, and the rollers of each pair of adjacent roller sets are disposed in staggered relation.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim l wherein the rollers of each set'. decrease in; length successively in the direction of convergence and are disposed in close adjacent spaced relation to one another and' respectively opposite the rollers of the opposed roller set, and the rollers of each pair of adjacent roller sets are disposed in staggered relation.

4; Apparatusasdeiinedin claim 1 wherein-the delivery snout comprises a rectangular array of four plate members spring biasedA against movement relative to one another, and certain ofV said plate members are mounted for pivotal movement, against said spring bias, respectively about axes extending across.` the passage walls.

References Cited' in the. le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 261,339 Grove July 18, 1882 1,553,836 Pierce Sept. 15, 1925 1,710,979 Herbender Apr. 30, 1929 2,713,449 Carmichael July 19, 1955 2,781,622 Shotfner Feb. 19, 19,57 

